Thrashing machine



June.9, 1931. L. A. PARADISE ET AL THRASHINQ MACHINE s Sheets-sheaf. 1

Filed May 21, 1927 gill-null, $0141 OTTUZ June 9, 19.31. L. A. PARADISE ET AL 1,803,785.-

wmmsnme MACHINE Filed May 21, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 2 WW a 441M June 9, 1931. L. A. PARADISE 'ET-AL THRASHING MACHINE Filed May 21. 1 .927

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 9, 1931 UNITED. STATES sIGNons TO nnnnna COMPANY, or MeLnvn; ILLINOES, A ooRronA'rIo or Inmnors PAT-TENT oFFi 7 Louis a. PARADISE AND EDWIN FREDERICK nnnnne, or; MOLINE, npnvors, s. v-

THBASIII NG MACHINE Application filed May 21, 1327. Serial No, "193,125,

The present invention relates to thrashing machines and aims generally to provide an improved construction of machine capable of obtaining a more thorough thrashing'of the grain. More specifically, one of present invention has been devised primarily for this type of machine, to the end of compensating'for the unfavorable con.- ditions under which these machines operate. As illustrative of such conditions the machine frequently travels over rough or sloping ground which tips the machine either laterally or fore and aft. This re-. suits in the tipping of the separatlng shoes to an undesired degree, causlng the grain.

and unthreshed heads to Work over to the sides of the shoes or to feed improperly along the shoes either of which condltions will adversely affect the normal separating functions of the shoes. Furthermore, owing to the fact that this type of machine is constantly turning and traveling in dlfferent directions in its movement in the field it is subject to the unfavorable action of anv existing Wind, which, in the different directions of travel of the machine, Wlll blow crosswise thereof and at other angles adverse to the mostefiicient operation-of the machine.

The particular improvements which en able us'to compensate for these conditions, and thus-to avoid objectionable loss ofgrain, res'i'deprincipally in an arrangement wherebv the tailings and unthreshed heads from both shoes are causedto passthrough one or an indefinite number of repeated cycles until the thrashing of the heads is completed, Inasmuch as our invention has 1ts greatestutility in'these com il machille pulled by a. tractor hitched to the We have shown it in such embodiment-in the accompanying drawings, but it will be understood that the invention'jis not limited to this type of machine. f r Referring to these accompanying draW-' lngs: V

typical combined harvester and thres'her embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the thrashing portionof the machine, the tailings elevator for the first and second shoes being illustrated in section a u Flg. 3 is a longitudinal "sectional vieW through the thrashing chine; and i Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through the stubbleward side of: themachine; taken on the plane of the line 4+4; of=I ig. 3, and showing the discharge of the cleaned grain ,to the grain spout. V

Combined harvesters and threshers 'are portion of the" matypically constructed with a main-frame, on Which is supported the thrash-ing. mechanism; and an outwardly projecting harvester frame, on whlch is supported theha-rvester framebars l0 and 11 which are supported at then forward ends .by asW-iveled steering truck 12 in which j ournaled a steering Wheel 13. The rear portlons of these main frame bars' have suitable bearings or black ets l i' securedthereto which receive'a i axle 15 on which rear wheels 16 are mounted.

The outwardly extending harvester frame is also usually supported by a wheel (not shown) mounted adjacent the outer endof" Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan viewjof a mechanism for cutting the grain. This main frame is represented byfthe two {spaced said frame. These machines are generally of the main frame. I

- The "harvester portion of themachinenonsists of any conventionalarrangement of front sickle "bar 7 cutting mechanism and" a reel for "presenting the standing grain to suoh f '9 "cutting mechan sm. Th1s harvester 'niec-lranism is all Well known, and henee we have not deemed it necessary to illustrate the details thereof. The grain out by tne sickle bar falls upon a laterally extending"conveyor 17 which carries it into the 'main portion of the machine where the grain is dumped through the open side of a feeding hopper 18. Traveling in the bottom of this hopper is a main feeding conveyor 19 which conducts the grain to the thrashin cylinder 21. This thrashing Cylinder, and the other operating parts of the thrashing mechanism,

are enclosed in a casing consisting of side panels 23 andtop panels 24, preferably reenforced by angle bars. 25 which are secured at their lower ends to the side frame bars 10, 11. r

Power for driving thethrashing cylinder. and the other operating parts of the machine may be derived from a power take-off on the tractor which pulls the machine, or it may be derive'd from a separate power plant located preferably at the front end of the main frame. The latter arrangement has been shown, the internal combustion engine 26 representing-such a power. plant. From a pulley 27 on theengine crank shaft a belt 28 extends back to a pulley 29 on the thrashing, cylinder shaft 31. feeding conveyor 19 is effected through a chain 32 on the stubbleward side of the 7 machine which passes upwardly over a the side chains of the conveyor pass.

37, the stubblewardend of which carries a sprocketwlieel 38 on the outer sideof the casing, over which this chain passes. On the harvester slde of the machine, the shaft 37- carries a sprocket wheel 39 over which trav ,els a chain 41 whichis driven by a sprocket wheel 42 on the thrasher cylinder drive shaft 31; As the grain moves rearwardly on the feeding conveyor 19 itis beaten down and fed into thethroat of the thrashing cylinder-by afan or beater 43. This member is mounted .in the side wall ofthe feeding hopper and is provided with a sprocketwheel 54-4 on the outer side of the hopper, over which wheel the chain 32 passes. The chain loops down around an adjustable sprocket wheel 45 suitably-supportedin a bracket 46, this latter sprocket wheel serving to take up slack in the chain. 7 v r I '7 The. thrasher' cylinder, 21 if of; any preferred construction, operating in conjunction with a toothed concave 47, as is typical of these thrashers. From the discharge side of the'cylinderthe straw is thrown up over a grating consisting 'of'a series of closely spaced spring fingers 48. passes off this grating on to the straw walk er 49, it is engaged by, a rotating picker or The drive of the As the straw beater 51 which assists in the thrashing and.

separating process. The beater is mounted on a transversely extending shaft 52 projecting through both side walls of the easing. At the harvester side of the casing, such shaft carries a sprocket wheel 53 over which passes the chain 41, whereby the. V

beater is driven from the cylinder drive shaft 31. The straw walker 49 consists ofa plurality of longitudinally extendingplates or bars 49,'the upper edges of' which are toothed to give a progressive feeding action tothe straw. This straw walker is' given an oscillatory throwing motion through .its mounting on cranks formed in two rotating shafts 54 and 55. The crank portions of these shafts engage in bearing blocks 56 secured to the, under sides of the plates 49. The oscillatory motion of the straw walker feeds the straw progressively back toward the open rear end of the-casing, and insuch feeding action agitates the straw for the separation of the grain therefrom.

The shaft 54 extends through the harvester" side of the casing and supports a sprocket -wheel 57 The beater shaft 52 carries a small sprocket wheel 58 over [which passes a chain 59, this chain extending down around the lower side of the relatively large sprocket wheel 57 for driving the shaft 54.

m The bottoms of these feeding 1 plates have stepped surfaces designed to im-.

part a progressive feeding motion to the grain inthe oscillation of such plates, the inner plate 61 being arranged to feed the grain dropped thereontowards its rear edge, e

and the plate 62 being designed to feed the grain dropped thereon towards its front edge. The grain discharged from the contiguousedges of both plates falls upon the inner end of a separating shoe 63. The two plates and the shoe are given oscillatory motion through rockers 64 disposed at each 5 side of these elements. These rockers are pivoted at 65 to the frame of the machine and have pivotal connection "at their upper ends to the feeding plates 61 and 62, at.

pivot points 66 and 67. The lower portion of each rockerhas'pivotal connection with the shoe 63 at .68, and these lower ends of the rockers carry pivot pins 69wover whichengage pitmen 71 disposed at each side of" V the machine;-- The forward ends of these;

pitmenxhave bearing'blocks 72 which en gage on thecrank' portions of a transversely extending shaft 73 disposed below the frame of the machine and. journaled in bearing brackets? 4 secured to the under side of the frame. chine, this agitating shaft 73' carries a At the stubbleward side of'the, 1113- sprocket wheel 75 over which passes a drive chaln 76, such chaln looping up around a driving sprocket 77 mounted on" the. stubbleward end of the beater shaft 52.

links 78' which have pivotal connectionat their lower ends on hangers 79 securedto thebottom sides of the frame bars. The rear end of the outer feeding plate .62 hassimilar swinging support on links 81 pivotally mounted on the side walls of the casing.

The rear portion of the shoe 63 also has swinging support 1 on links 82 pivotally mounted on the frame. The shoe comprises the'usual separating screen through which the grain sifts ,down into a grain chute 83.

The tailings from the end of the screen fall into a similar tailings chute 84:. These chutes constitute a part of the shoe and oscillate therewith, the grain chute discharging into a trough 85 in whichrota'ltes a grain auger 86, and the tailings chute 84' discharging into a trough 87 in which rotates a tailings auger 88. A fan 89is disposed forwardly of the shoe andhas the outlet opening of its housing 91 discharging into the end of the grain chute 83. Thefan projects a blast of air below and up through the shoe to blow the chaff and other light particles out through the open rear end of the casing.

along the shoe to the tailingsend thereof.

The fan is mounted on a shaft 92, one end 1 of which projects from the harvester side;

of the machine to receive a sprocket wheel 93, over which passes the chain 59,'wher,eby the fan is driven from the beater shaft 52..

The grain discharged downthroughthe chute 83 into the auger 86 is conveyed laterally thereby toward the stubbleward side of the machine where it is dumped into the lower boot end of an elevator 94. This elevator extends upwardlyto the top of the machine and discharges the grain into a transversely extending'auger 95, which, in

turn, conveys the grain laterally across'the over this sprocket wheel and extends .down adjacent the front-end of the casing and passes over a sprocket wheel101mounted on the upperfan shaft 37 The drive which is thus transmitted to the elevator through the chain 99 also drives the lower 'grain auger 86, the shaft of which auger has oper-" ative connection with the flower sprocket v wheel of the elevator.

Such blast of air also assists} in moving the unthrashed heads 'rearwardly The elevator dumps the; grain into the outer end of a trough or tube-102 in which; revolves the distributing-auger 95. ;This auger is positioned adjacent the forwardend of the uppershoe and distributes thegrain transversely across the width-of such shoe through a relatively narrow slot 103 ex,-- tending longitudinally through the bottom. of the trough 102. One side portion 102 offithetrough is hinged-at;104c'to the stav. tionary side portionthereofso as to permit this hinged section to swing outwardly. Such hinged section permits of wideningof the discharge opening 108 in the event of clogging of the auger,.and also affords easy access to the auger.@ The, latter is driven. through a sprocket wheel 1105 (Fig. 2) mounted on the end of the auger shaft at theharvester side of the machine. A chain, 106passes over this sprocket wheel and up over a driving sprocket wheel which is mounted on the end of a transversely extending shaft 108. This shaft i'sfsupported in. bearingbrackets 109 on the top of the casing, and at the stubbleward side of the machine itcarries a sprocket wheel 111 over which passesthe chain 99. 1 a The upper shoe 96 preferably comprises a pair of riddles or screens112 mounted in a suitable frame 113. This frame has swingingsupport on the lower ends'of'two pairs of pivoted arms 11 1 and 115. arms ll iarekeye'd to a transverselyext'ending shaft 110, to theouter endof which is connected an arm 117' having pivotal con; nection with av reciprocating pitman 118. A grain chute 119 slopesjdownwardly and forwardly below this upper, shoe and dis-i charges the grai'nsifting therethrough down 'into a grain auger 121 rotating ina trough or tube 122. The tailings end of this upper shoe discharges into a trough'123 in which revolves a tailings auger 1241-. Mounted on The the shaft 37 is a blast fan 125which issuit- V ably cased inabove the thrashing cylinder;

and is arranged to discharge a blast of air below and up through'the shoe .96. This air blast sweeps any light. ref-use back to the discharge end of, the casing, and assists in movingunthrashed heads andothertailings along the shoe toiithe tailings end ith rashed and cleaned-grain, and this grain is conveyed laterallyiby the. auger ,ztowa'rd' the i stubbleward side of. the machine where it is discharged into'a'g'rain spout 1126 (Fig.

4:); This grain'spout extends at any *suit-q abledischarge angle relative to the" ma chine and has a'feedingauger 127 therein. Such'auger .is driven from the augerl21 through a; universal. jointxcoupling device. .128 which connects the-ends ioffthe auger shafts. At the opposite" side of. the-machine,

the shaft 121' ofthe'auger 121 carries a sprocket wheel 129 around which passes the driving'chain'106, The shaft 124 of th'eupper tailings auger 124 projects from the stubblewa'rd side ofthe casing (Fig. 4) and carries a sprocket wheel 131 around which passes the driving chain'99. A crank or eccentric 132 on this' shaft, alongside the sprocket wheel 131, has operative con- I boot end 135 of the elevator, and the trough tion 141 upon whichare discharged the tail- 1 ings from the upper shoe.

or tube 123 of the upper tailings auger dumps into the elevator through a hood portion 136 formed in the upper wall of the elevator. The sprocket wheel 137, 'arou ndwhich the lower end of the flight barconveyor 134 passes, is keyed to'a shaft 88,

' which may consist of an extending end por-' tion of the tailings auger 88, orwhich may be a separate shaft suitablycoupled to this auger, the arrangementbeing such that the auger will be driven from the elevator 134."

At the upper end of the elevator the conveyor passes around a sprocket wheel 139 which is secured to the driving shaft. 108.

The conveyor is driven in the direction'indicated, the upper stretch of the conveyor passing down along an intermediate parti are conveyed downaround the lower end of the elevator where the tailings from the lower shoe are picked up, the tailings from both shoes being thence conveyed upwardly along the bottom wall of the'elevator to a discharge opening in the upper end of the elevator. This discharge opening communicates with a chute 142, p which extends down into the feed hopper 18 and dumps the tailings upon the feeding conveyor 19 leading to the thrashing cylinder.

It will be seen from thexforegoing description that while the machine is in operation all of the tailings from both shoes are being returned continuously to the thresher cylinder for a repetition of. the thrashing and separating cycle. ings comprise any unthrashed heads, and anygrain berrie'sxfrom' which the whltecaps, beards or husks have not been removed. It will be evidentthat these tailings will be :returned to the thrashing cylinder and will pass through repeated thrashing: and separating cycles untilsuch taillngs have been, completely thrashed. By returningthe tailings from the first shoe dlrectly. -to--the thrasher cylinder, instead of passing These tailings 7 These tail thesetailings up to the second shoe, there -is avoided the possibility of the second shoe being overloaded in itsseparating capacity.

Overloading of other parts of the machine has also been avoided in the present construction by returning the tailings from both shoes directly to the thrashing cylinder.

will not be lost but will be returned to the thrashing cylinder for a repetition of the separating cycle. Y

vWhat we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. Ina combined harvesting and'thrashingmachine,the combination of athrashing cylinder, a conveyor for" feeding the harvested grain to said thrashing cylinder, a

straw walker receiving the straw from said cylinder, an oscillatory grain feeding pan disposed below said thrashing cylinder and said straw walker, a first cleaning shoerecei-ving the grain from said feedingpan, a second oscillatory grain feeding pan disposed below said straw'walker ,and'adapted to feed grain to said-first cleaning shoe, a

grain auger and'a separate tailings auger for said first shoe, a second cleaning shoe disposed above said straw walker, an eleva tor for conveying the grain from said grain auger up to said second shoe,--a tailings auger for sald second shoe and a tailings elevator receiving the tailings from both 'of said tailings augers atdiiferent points and discharging the same to said feeding conveyor. 1

2. In a combined harvestingiand thrash ing machine, the combination of a thrashing cylinder, a conveyorfor feedingthe harvested grainlto said thrashing cylinder,-a

straw walker receiving the straw from said cyllnder, an osclllatory gram feeding pan disposed below said thrashing cylinder 1 and said straw walker, a' first cleaning shoe rece1v1ng the grain from said feeding-pan, a

second oscillatory grain feeding pan disposed below said'straw walker and adapted to feed-grain in oppositedirection to said said entire straw walker is fed-to said first cleaning shoe, a grain'auger and a separate tailings auger for" said first shoe, a second cleaning shoe disposed above said straw walker, an elevator for conveying the grain from said grain auger' up to said second shoe, a tailingsauger. for said second shoe, a tailings elevator comprising. an endless 1.

flight bar conveyor for receiving tailings first pan whereby grain dropping from from said first shoeand adapted'to carry said tailings along the 111116181 side thereof,

said conveyor being adapted to receive tailings on the upper sidethereofxfrom the- 

